Friday, August 1, 2025

Trump Orders "Deterrence"

Under the cold, dark waters of the North Atlantic, quiet as a tomb, two boomers wait for the message to destroy Russia. It's safe to assume both are Ohio class submarines. A public source reports:

The American Ohio class and British Vanguard class boats both carry Trident II missiles, with 24 SLBMs on each Ohio and 16 SLBMs on each Vanguard. Each Trident II carries eight to 12 Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs) with ranges up to 7,500 miles.

By my calculation, that represents at least 24 x 8 x 2 = 384 warheads. Assuming half get through to target and detonate, that is 192 Russian bases, cities, ports, etc. gone within an hour. 

I would suppose the prospect could conceivably deter Putin from starting a war, assuming he isn't suicidal. With Russians, that is not always a safe assumption.

Be clear, a similar Russian contingent is almost certainly sitting off one or both of our coasts with similar targeting orders. When both get the "go code," the result is the infamous "mutually assured destruction." The gloomy prospect of which has prevented nuclear war for nearly 80 years.